Kiriş→Antalya Airport

Kiriş is a small coastal locality in the Kemer district, on the stretch of Turkish Mediterranean coast where the pine-covered foothills of the Beydağları range run down almost to the water. Your private transfer from Kiriş to Antalya Airport (AYT) covers about 67 kilometres, and the planning figure for the drive is 62 minutes. That figure is a baseline for a road with no delays. Traffic, roadworks and the last stretch from your hotel gate to the main road can all change the real time, so treat 62 minutes as the shortest sensible estimate and not as a promise.

This page is written for the departure journey. It covers when to be ready, what the drive looks like, how the airport drop-off works, and how to make the last hours of your holiday calm. If you are arriving instead, the same road works in reverse, and the pair of pages use the same distance and the same measured route.

Turkey Transfer is a private transfer service. Your car is for your party only. There is no shared minibus round of other hotels, so the pickup time we agree is the time you leave.

The most useful question for any departure transfer is not "how long is the drive?" but "when must I walk out of the lobby?" The answer depends on your flight, the season and the hour of the day.

A sensible way to plan is to count backward from your take-off time:

• Start with your flight departure time.
• Subtract the time you want to spend at the airport before take-off. For an international flight, many holidaymakers like to be at the terminal around three hours before departure, so there is room for the check-in queue, passport control and security.
• Subtract the drive. The baseline is 62 minutes, and in busy periods you should add a cushion on top of that.
• Add a few minutes for loading bags and for the walk from your room to the lobby.

The result is your pickup time. When you book, you give us your flight time and your hotel name, and we help you choose a pickup time that leaves room for the road. Your driver also contacts you before departure to confirm the exact time and the exact meeting point.

The 62-minute baseline suits quiet hours, such as early morning, late evening and the night. In July and August, and also at weekends when many flights leave and many hotels change over their guests, the roads in and around Antalya fill up. The Antalya ring road and the approach from the city to the airport side are the places where a smooth drive can slow down. In those periods it is sensible to plan well beyond the baseline and to leave earlier than the minimum.

If you are travelling with children, with a lot of luggage or with an older relative, add a little more. A relaxed first hour at the airport is much better than a rush through the terminal doors. It is also much easier to spend a spare half hour in the departure lounge than to explain to an airline desk why you arrived late.

Many charter and low-cost flights leave Antalya very early in the morning or late at night. A flight at 4 am means a pickup that starts the night before. Do not be surprised if the plan means leaving Kiriş soon after midnight. At that hour the coast road is quiet and the drive itself is quick, but the check-in area is full of people on the same wave of departures, so you still need the time to get through it.

For a late-evening flight, the opposite problem appears. You have a full day in Kiriş after hotel check-out, with luggage but no room. Ask your hotel if they can hold your bags, or ask for a late check-out time. If you plan a last swim, a last walk by the pebble shore or a last lunch, tell your driver the time you want to leave and we build the pickup around it.

If your flight time changes after you book, send us a message with the new time, and we update the pickup plan. Do this as soon as you know, because the best time to leave depends on the new flight, not on the old one.

The route is one of the most scenic airport transfers on this coast, and it is worth a moment to look out of the window if you are not rushing for a very early flight.

You leave Kiriş by the coast road, the D-400, with the mountains on one side and the Mediterranean on the other. Kiriş sits at the foot of Tahtalı Dağı, the high limestone peak known as Mount Olympos, which rises to 2,365 metres almost directly from the shoreline. The base station of the Olympos Teleferik cable car is in Kiriş. If you have not yet ridden it and you have an afternoon to spare before an evening flight, it is the best last outing you can plan close to your hotel. If you leave in the morning, you may see the summit above you in clear light. In winter the top is sometimes white with snow while the coast stays mild.

Heading north, the road passes through the small settlements of Göynük and Beldibi. Göynük is the base for Göynük Canyon, the cool gorge where visitors walk along the stream, try canyoning or have lunch beside the water. Beldibi is known for its cave, where traces of very early human life were found, and for its beach, which runs along the road side. These places are good for your next visit, and for now they are simply landmarks that tell you the drive is on track.

Along this part of the road the forest crowds in on both sides, and the sea shows in gaps between the trees. The road is a busy main route through the district, so you share it with coaches, hotel shuttles, tour vehicles and local traffic. Your driver knows where the road tends to slow and where it opens up.

After Beldibi the road descends towards the Gulf of Antalya. As you come closer to the city, the scenery changes from forest to buildings, and the road comes closer to Konyaaltı and the suburbs on the western side of Antalya. On a clear day you can see the Beydağları mountains behind you and the wide curve of the bay ahead. The cable car on Tünektepe and the hills above Konyaaltı beach are part of this view, and the road runs beneath them as it takes you into the city.

From here your driver uses the city's main roads and ring road to cross to the eastern side of Antalya, where the airport is. This crossing is the part of the drive most affected by traffic. In summer, the stretches towards the Kundu and Lara side can slow down, and this is why the practical planning advice is to leave early enough that a slow section does not matter.

We collect guests from the hotels and apartments around Kiriş and the nearby Kemer coast. Among the properties we know on this stretch are:

• Limak Limra Hotel & Resort
• Maxx Royal Kemer Resort
• Akka Alinda
• Akka Claros Hotel
• Swandor Hotel and Resort
• Alva Donna World Palace
• Dobedan World Palace
• Akın Apart ve Hotel
• Simena Hotel
• Grand Mir'amor
• Emelda Sun Club

The routine is the same at each of them. Your driver meets you at the lobby or reception, loads the bags and drives to the airport. There is no separate meeting point to find. If you stay in an apartment, villa or smaller guesthouse that is not in the list, give us the full name or street address when you book, because several properties in this area have similar names, and the exact address lets the booking team plan the last approach to the correct entrance.

Large resorts can have long internal roads and more than one gate, so tell your driver which entrance suits you best.

Antalya Airport has terminals for international and domestic flights. Your driver stops at the departure area for the terminal that serves your flight. Give us your airline and flight number when you book, so that we drop you at the correct terminal and not at the wrong door.

Your driver helps with the luggage and places it on a trolley if you need one. Large items, such as dive gear, surfboards, golf clubs and strollers, need advance notice, because the vehicle must have the space. The Kemer coast has many boat trips, dive centres and canyon tours, so many guests leave with more than a normal suitcase. If this is your case, say so when you book, and we send a car with more space or a minivan.

Child seats must be requested at the time of booking, so that the right seat is fitted and waiting in the vehicle. Mobility needs should also be declared before the booking is confirmed, so that the assigned vehicle is suitable for the passenger.

Many holidaymakers who stay in Kiriş also know the neighbouring places, and a good transfer plan benefits from knowing them. Here is a short guide, from the point of view of someone who is about to leave.

Kiriş is quieter than Kemer centre. It is a place of shaded gardens, citrus trees and a calm sea, because the mountains block much of the wind. It suits families who want a resort holiday and couples who want a restful base. It is also a good choice for visitors who plan the cable car ride up Tahtalı, because the base station is in the locality itself. Most of the larger hotels run their own beach areas and sometimes a jetty for boat trips.

Kemer centre is about 10 to 15 minutes south of Kiriş. It has the yacht marina, the evening bazaar and the greatest number of restaurants and bars in the district. It suits guests who want more evening life and more choice for dinner. If your last night is in Kiriş, a taxi ride to the marina is an easy way to say goodbye to the coast.

North of Kiriş, Göynük and Beldibi are quieter again. Göynük Canyon is the main attraction, and the area suits visitors who want a calm base with nature close by. As the departure road passes through both places, guests who stay here have a shorter drive to the airport than guests who stay in the south of the district.

South of Kiriş, the coast continues to Çamyuva and onward to Tekirova. These areas have large resorts with private beaches and more room, and they are often the choice of families looking for an all-inclusive holiday. Guests from these places begin their departure drive further from the airport, so the pickup should be earlier than for Kiriş.

The beach in Kiriş is a narrow band of pebbles and fine shingle. Pine trees reach almost to the water in places, and the sea deepens quickly a short way from the shore. That suits swimmers and snorkellers. A late-afternoon walk along the shore is usually a quiet one, with little more than the wind in the pines and the sound of water. For a last swim before a night flight, this is a lovely place to do it.

Kaleiçi is the historic old town of Antalya, with its harbour, Hadrian's Gate and winding streets of bazaars and old houses. It is roughly an hour north of Kiriş along the coast road, and that makes it a natural stop for a day with a late flight. If you plan a visit, tell your driver. We can quote a half-day or full-day rate and then continue to the airport after the visit, so that you keep the same driver and the same car from the old town to the departure hall. Keep the luggage in the car while you walk through the old streets, and agree a clear time to return.

Phaselis is the Lycian port city with three ancient harbours set among pine trees and a sandy bay. It is about 20 to 25 minutes further south of Kemer. Olympos and Çıralı, with ruins that run down to the beach and the eternal flames of the Chimaera, are about 40 minutes south. These are the best excursions for a full day, and they are a better fit for the first days of a holiday than for a departure day, because they are south of Kiriş and the airport lies north.

If this is your last evening, Kiriş and Kemer give you a choice. In Kiriş, many guests eat at their hotel, which is the simplest way to avoid travelling again. The nearby pansiyons and small restaurants offer a quieter evening meal, and you can taste regional dishes without the crowds of the main resort strip.

If you want a livelier last night, Kemer marina is about 10 to 15 minutes away. It has the evening bazaar, restaurants along the water and boat tours that leave in the day. After dinner, return to the hotel and put the bags in the lobby before bed, so that the morning is calm.

For an early flight, eat well the evening before, and ask your hotel if they can prepare a packed breakfast. Many hotels do this for early departures if you ask the day before. Do not plan a heavy late dinner if you leave at 3 am, because a short sleep before the transfer is more useful than a long meal.

Travelling with children changes the plan in three ways. First, you need more time. Children are slower in the lobby, slower at security and more often in need of a toilet stop. Second, you need the right seat. Tell us the age and number of children when you book, so that the vehicle is ready. Third, you need a calm journey. A 62-minute drive with a sleepy child works best when the car is quiet, cool and not rushed.

Strollers should be mentioned at booking so the vehicle has space. A folded stroller usually fits in the boot of a normal car, but with a big family and many suitcases, a minivan is the better choice. Larger groups of five or more should tell us the number of passengers and the number of bags, and we match the vehicle to the party.

The coast road at night is a very different place from the road at noon. The traffic is thin, the drive is smooth and the mountains are a dark shape against the sky. For a flight in the small hours, the plan is simple: be in the lobby at the agreed time, with the room key returned and the bill settled, so the driver does not wait.

For a very early flight, the airport itself is busy at night, because many departures leave in the same part of the early morning. Allow time for the check-in queue and the security line. A calm pace at the airport is better than a fast drive on the road.

Think about the whole journey as a chain. The flight is the last link, and everything before it moves back from there. Some guests like a simple rule: leave Kiriş early enough that you can arrive at the airport with a comfortable cushion, even if the road slows down.

If something goes wrong on the road, such as a stopped vehicle or an accident ahead, tell your driver and let them choose the best route. Your driver knows the alternatives and the places where the traffic usually builds. They also contact you before departure, so you have a direct line to confirm the pickup time and the place.

June to September is the busy season. Hotels are full, the roads are full, and the airport is full. Plan more time for the drive and for the terminal. The coast is hot, so a cool car is welcome, and a bottle of water is always a good idea.

In winter the coast stays mild while the summit of Tahtalı may be white with snow. The roads are quieter, but heavy rain can slow the drive, so keep a little extra time.

Many of our regular guests keep the same driver for the airport run and for sightseeing earlier in the week. These are the options that suit a Kiriş base:

• Tahtalı and the Olympos Teleferik: the base station is in Kiriş, so it is a short ride from your hotel. The cable car carries you from sea level to a summit platform with a wide view over the Gulf of Antalya and the Bey Mountains.
• Göynük Canyon: a few minutes north, for a walk in the gorge, for canyoning or for lunch by the stream.
• Kemer Marina: for the yacht harbour, the evening bazaar and boat tours to the coves of the Lycian coast.
• Phaselis: for ancient harbours among the pines.
• Olympos and Çıralı: for ruins by the beach and the Chimaera flames.
• Kaleiçi in Antalya: for the old town, the harbour and the bazaar streets, on the way to the airport.

If you want one of these as part of your departure day, tell us when you book. We can quote a half-day or full-day taxi rate rather than a one-way fare, and we can plan the airport run as the last stop of the day.

Booking takes a couple of minutes. You give us your name, your hotel in Kiriş, your flight number, the number of passengers and the number of bags. You also tell us about child seats, large luggage or mobility needs. The booking result shows the price for your vehicle class, and that is the price that counts. The price comes from the measured road distance under the current pricing policy, so it does not depend on a number typed by hand on a page.

You can pay in cash or by card. If you want to confirm anything on the day, your driver contacts you before departure and waits at your Kiriş hotel with your bags ready to go.

The road from Kiriş to Antalya Airport is a good way to close a holiday on this coast. With a pickup time that leaves room for the road and a driver who knows the route, the 67 kilometres are an easy part of your trip home.